Back from Branson!
It was a great, great trip that was given to us by my mom and dad for Christmas! My kiddos and I (because Jeremiah didn't have enough vacation time) drove down with my brother Richie & his girlfriend Melissa. We met my parents there, along with my sister Gina & her boyfriend Chase.
Some highlights from the trip were:
* Go-karting on a super fun track (that had a 4 level twirly ramp)
* Swimming in the pool everyday!
* Going to Build-a-Bear and the kids getting their own animals
* Eating out at a couple great places with great food
* Spending good time with family (especially Gina & Chase)
* Walking on a beautiful day at Table Rock Lake
* Cake and Cream 50's ice cream shoppe!!
* Driving up and down the main strip which looks kind of like a family-friendly Vegas strip. Saw things like "Ripley's Believe it or Not" building that looks like it's cracked in half, the Hollywood Wax museum that has a fake Empire State Building with King Kong on it, The Titanic Museum that looks like the front of the Titanic, driving by "our little country church" which always make the kids giggle because it's really actually huge, driving by The Track go-karting places which has multiple locations and they'd get so excited to see the one we went to.
* The church we went to on Sunday was a great experience and I'm so proud of my kiddos who sat through the 2 1/2 hour service and did really great.
* Having cable and getting to introduce my kids to "Full House," my absolute favorite show as a kid and seeing that they equally loved it and wanted to know why it wasn't still on! :) Great family values show.
* The weather was sunny the whole time and really warm and great on Thursday and Friday.
* My kids do really great with road trips and I'm so happy about that. I keep it fun and fresh. We had a little "How Close Are We?" indicator: I made a little picture of MN and put it on one side of the van, then tied a string over to the other side where there was a picture of Missouri. I printed off a picture of a van like ours, put it on the string, and moved it so the kids could see how far we'd traveled and how close we were. We got lots of library books, a couple library movies, had Roadtrip Bingo, bought a handful of Dollarstore gifts and wrapped them up for the kids to open when they were being really good. I had "Branson Binders" for them with paper and markers in them to color on and a whiteboard with Scrabble tiles that had magnets for Jonah and Phia to "play" scrabble with.
I also let them pack a little backpack of stuff they wanted to play with. They each had their own snack bin with snacks in it. Whenever they'd ask for a snack, I let them have one from their bin. I didn't have to go digging for one for them and they were able to have as they pleased :)
* My absolute FAVORITE was going to see "Joseph" (not the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat version). It was SUCH an amazing musical, beautifully written and performed. Part of the cool part of this is that I'm reading the book "How to Raise a Modern-Day Joseph" and to see this show that depicts Joseph, his story and his relationship with God put everything into a very cool perspective.
It was a wonderful, wonderful trip and none of us wanted to come home! That's the sign of a great time!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
When God Doesn't Get the Memo
She pulled me aside and said, "I'm pregnant." Wide-eyed, I rejoiced with her! This was a surprise and wasn't an expected pregnancy, the other three hadn't come as easily. She seemed to have an apprehension right off the bat. Joyful and in awe of God's work, yes she was, but an uneasiness that I couldn't place my finger on.
A couple weeks later, I placed my finger. The doctors noticed some abnormalities on the ultrasound and after a few days/weeks of testing, it was determined that their baby girl would have Downs Syndrome. They embraced this challenge as a blessing and proceeded forward with careful, watchful eyes of the doctors. Each week went by and we prayed fervently for this baby girl that would join us in February. I prayed for perfect health for the baby, leaving whatever that looked like, up to God. But I felt Him say to me to pray for no Downs. So I proceeded, awkwardly, because I knew that they were embracing this and were ok with it. I wondered if they'd be upset with me for praying this, but like I said, I believe that God wanted this prayer from me and I have to follow Him first. I prayed that she would be the picture of health and wellness.
On the 15th of February she made her debut into our world! The first night was good, but things slowly slipped downward. She was very jaundiced, but that issue paled in comparison to being diagnosed with a condition called Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis. It is only present in some babies with Down Syndrome. It mimics leukemia and can require some of the same treatment. My mind reeled! My heart sank! Leukemia?! In a 1 day old, 5 pound baby? How is this even possible? As if the road wasn't rocky enough with the challenges of Downs Syndrome. Now chemotherapy would be administered to this teeny baby... I shuddered at the thought.
I was mad. I was angry. I was confused. I felt neglected. I felt like my prayers did nothing. I felt desperate for my friends and their family. I had prayed for perfect health and felt like God gave her the complete antithesis of health. Really God? REALLY?! Were you listening to me AT ALL?
I needed to pull up the bootstraps and get over myself. I needed to pray for these new developments. One problem. I was still mad at Him. I wasn't really on... how shall we say it... speaking terms with the Man Upstairs. It's like when husband & wife are in a fight. You know that you need to talk and communicate the issues, but you just need time. Sometimes you look at the other, knowing that you need to talk it through, but just can't, just not yet. It was like that. I would start to pray and just couldn't. I'd give an irritated sigh and walk away from the conversation, arms folded and pouty faced.
Exasperated, I said "Ok Lord. I just need a verse to give to my friend. I'm going to flip open this book, 'Streams in the Dessert'." The verse for that date was Mark 11:24, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Well if that isn't just a nice little mixture of salt and sand in the wound I don't know what is!!! OUCH. I felt like I got punched in the gut. Or hit by a Mac truck. Or slapped across the face by Barney or Marshall on "How I Met Your Mother." Or chopped off at the knees. Ok, I think you get the picture. It stung. Those weren't the words of comfort I was looking for. Madder than a wet hen, I walked away from the book and said, "That wasn't it Lord, try again." Thankfully, He obliged.
"Psalm 23," He said. "Really Lord," I said, "That's pretty generic, everyone uses that verse, it doesn't feel very special." (Oh my arrogance... God's Word... Not special? Man am I a jerk) But it kept coming back to me. Then I received an email from a friend about this situation and she said, "I just have kept coming back to the mindset that God's character does not change, regardless of the circumstances that He allows to happen. I have been studying the 23rd Psalm and have been so amazed at the idea that we will walk through the darkest valley, but we have nothing to fear, for God is with us. He may not spare us the trip through that valley, but will be our rod and staff, there to comfort us, protect us and reassure us of His presence! God is exceedingly generous and faithful, even when we are not so inclined!"
Ok. Message received. 10-4 Good Buddy. I remembered a video I had recorded of Aphia last year and thought, "Maybe the Word of God, spoken by a [then] 4 year old are the Words we need to hear." I listened to this and cried. God's Word is true. God's Word is right. God's Word is alive.
I went back to that verse in Mark that I had read earlier. I read the rest of the devotional, and it talked about a little boy knowing that his grandma would come through on a promise she made to him. Even while the mother was in doubt of it happening, the grandma was working it out on her own. The promise came, just as she had said it would, not exactly how the mom and boy had expected, but better. She came through and the boy was victorious in his faithfulness to grandma. And so it is with God. He's working it out, while we are waiting. It doesn't always go as we expect. It doesn't always go as we want. He doesn't promise that we won't walk through the valley (of the shadow of death nonetheless!!). But He does promise that He will be with us to comfort us and bring us through the valley.
Through it all He reminded me that He is always there. He's always listening to me, but just as a good parent, he doesn't always give me what I want. I can be a whiney, stomping foot, bratty little girl, and He just shrugs and says, "Have your pity party, you know that my promises never fail. You know that I'm always here. You know that I'm waiting for you to come on back and be real with me. I'm not worried about your stubbornness and selfishness, you're my daughter and I'm waiting here with open arms for when you're ready."
I listened to the words of a Chris Tomlin song as it washed over me in the car on a snowy, windy, dark night,
A couple weeks later, I placed my finger. The doctors noticed some abnormalities on the ultrasound and after a few days/weeks of testing, it was determined that their baby girl would have Downs Syndrome. They embraced this challenge as a blessing and proceeded forward with careful, watchful eyes of the doctors. Each week went by and we prayed fervently for this baby girl that would join us in February. I prayed for perfect health for the baby, leaving whatever that looked like, up to God. But I felt Him say to me to pray for no Downs. So I proceeded, awkwardly, because I knew that they were embracing this and were ok with it. I wondered if they'd be upset with me for praying this, but like I said, I believe that God wanted this prayer from me and I have to follow Him first. I prayed that she would be the picture of health and wellness.
On the 15th of February she made her debut into our world! The first night was good, but things slowly slipped downward. She was very jaundiced, but that issue paled in comparison to being diagnosed with a condition called Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis. It is only present in some babies with Down Syndrome. It mimics leukemia and can require some of the same treatment. My mind reeled! My heart sank! Leukemia?! In a 1 day old, 5 pound baby? How is this even possible? As if the road wasn't rocky enough with the challenges of Downs Syndrome. Now chemotherapy would be administered to this teeny baby... I shuddered at the thought.
I was mad. I was angry. I was confused. I felt neglected. I felt like my prayers did nothing. I felt desperate for my friends and their family. I had prayed for perfect health and felt like God gave her the complete antithesis of health. Really God? REALLY?! Were you listening to me AT ALL?
I needed to pull up the bootstraps and get over myself. I needed to pray for these new developments. One problem. I was still mad at Him. I wasn't really on... how shall we say it... speaking terms with the Man Upstairs. It's like when husband & wife are in a fight. You know that you need to talk and communicate the issues, but you just need time. Sometimes you look at the other, knowing that you need to talk it through, but just can't, just not yet. It was like that. I would start to pray and just couldn't. I'd give an irritated sigh and walk away from the conversation, arms folded and pouty faced.
Exasperated, I said "Ok Lord. I just need a verse to give to my friend. I'm going to flip open this book, 'Streams in the Dessert'." The verse for that date was Mark 11:24, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Well if that isn't just a nice little mixture of salt and sand in the wound I don't know what is!!! OUCH. I felt like I got punched in the gut. Or hit by a Mac truck. Or slapped across the face by Barney or Marshall on "How I Met Your Mother." Or chopped off at the knees. Ok, I think you get the picture. It stung. Those weren't the words of comfort I was looking for. Madder than a wet hen, I walked away from the book and said, "That wasn't it Lord, try again." Thankfully, He obliged.
"Psalm 23," He said. "Really Lord," I said, "That's pretty generic, everyone uses that verse, it doesn't feel very special." (Oh my arrogance... God's Word... Not special? Man am I a jerk) But it kept coming back to me. Then I received an email from a friend about this situation and she said, "I just have kept coming back to the mindset that God's character does not change, regardless of the circumstances that He allows to happen. I have been studying the 23rd Psalm and have been so amazed at the idea that we will walk through the darkest valley, but we have nothing to fear, for God is with us. He may not spare us the trip through that valley, but will be our rod and staff, there to comfort us, protect us and reassure us of His presence! God is exceedingly generous and faithful, even when we are not so inclined!"
Ok. Message received. 10-4 Good Buddy. I remembered a video I had recorded of Aphia last year and thought, "Maybe the Word of God, spoken by a [then] 4 year old are the Words we need to hear." I listened to this and cried. God's Word is true. God's Word is right. God's Word is alive.
I went back to that verse in Mark that I had read earlier. I read the rest of the devotional, and it talked about a little boy knowing that his grandma would come through on a promise she made to him. Even while the mother was in doubt of it happening, the grandma was working it out on her own. The promise came, just as she had said it would, not exactly how the mom and boy had expected, but better. She came through and the boy was victorious in his faithfulness to grandma. And so it is with God. He's working it out, while we are waiting. It doesn't always go as we expect. It doesn't always go as we want. He doesn't promise that we won't walk through the valley (of the shadow of death nonetheless!!). But He does promise that He will be with us to comfort us and bring us through the valley.
Through it all He reminded me that He is always there. He's always listening to me, but just as a good parent, he doesn't always give me what I want. I can be a whiney, stomping foot, bratty little girl, and He just shrugs and says, "Have your pity party, you know that my promises never fail. You know that I'm always here. You know that I'm waiting for you to come on back and be real with me. I'm not worried about your stubbornness and selfishness, you're my daughter and I'm waiting here with open arms for when you're ready."
I listened to the words of a Chris Tomlin song as it washed over me in the car on a snowy, windy, dark night,
"Water you turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind, there's no one like you, none like You!
Into the darkness you shine, out of the ashes we rise, there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Into the darkness you shine, out of the ashes we rise, there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand agains?.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
What could stand against?"
And if our God is with us, then what could stand agains?.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
What could stand against?"
I felt an unbelievable honor and priviledge to be a child of the most powerful God. A God that is SO big, Master of the Universe, and yet He stands next to me, waiting for me and wanting me to fall into His strong arms so that I don't have to pretend to be strong anymore.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tidbits
Hello Blogger... It's been a while huh? Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Life, ya know.
I don't have anything big & grand to post today, but a bunch of little & mediocre things. So if you want to plod through, be my guest :)
-It's the day before Valentine's Day and the kiddos and I are going to finish up their cards for their friends. We tried to stay away from giving out candy, but decided on each card getting two Life Savers with the card saying, "Valentine, We are two of a kind!" The "o's" are the Life Savers.
-I'm looking forward to our trip down to Branson, MO with my parents & two of my siblings (and their SO's) in less than a month. I don't think I'm going to make my goal of losing 8 pounds by then.
-On said trip to Branson, we will be leaving at 3:00 a.m. and I love, love, love driving at this time of the morning when it's dark and quiet. No music, no radio, just a van full of slumbering people, my thoughts, and my Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha.
-I am going to be working full time for 8 weeks this spring/summer. I am excited and dreading this all at the same time. I'm excited because I love my job and it will be very exciting! I'm dreading it because it's the beginning of summer and I'll miss that time with my kids. But at the end of the 8 weeks we are going to FAMILY CAMP!!!!!!!!! We're going to a camp in northern Wisconsin with friends of ours and I am SO EXCITED!! I LOVE (I cannot write LOVE big enough here) camp. I had dreams and visions of owning a camp when I was younger. We'll be taking our pop-up camper and staying in that, but we'll be spending our time eating every single meal in the dining hall. Mama doesn't have to think about cooking or doing the cooking for a WHOLE WEEK! This is the icing on the cake.
-JJ & I are helping to facilitate a parenting class at church and participating in it, the other weeks. It's called Swimming Upstream 101. Parenting a child to have values, morals and a Biblical foundation today is completely counter cultural... Thus Swimming Upstream! The video series we're watching (and reading the book to go along with it) is called Visionary Parenting and it is absolutely, hands down, phenomenal material. More on all of this in a later post.
-A very, very dear friend of mine is due to have her 4th baby in about 2 weeks. I am anxiously awaiting this beautiful girl, because I KNOW that God has and is working miracles in her life already!
-Soccer sign ups for summer is happening soon. Both kids want to play again. Jonah was very enthusiastic about wanting to play (the more... how shall we say it in a nice way? "Relaxed" player of the two). Aphia was actually a little reluctant (the more... aggressive & cognizant player of the two).
I loved watching both of them play last year- a stark difference from watching t-ball the two years prior (it might have been more fun to try to pluck each toe nail off one by one).
-Today, Isaiah was the red Power Ranger and his name was Sam. On Sunday when I went to pick him up from Sunday school, he was not there, but I was delighted to be able to pick up Superman. We are trying to find a nice happy medium of imaginging and playing pretend (which he is VERY good at) and not telling all out lies (which he is getting good at).
-My new nephew Ryan Jr., who I would like to call RJ but I haven't cleared that with my SIL, is 3 weeks old. He has found his voice. He is stressing out my SIL and I'm praying for him and her. Those early days can be so touch and go. It's all new and a learning process. It's exhausting.
-JJ is amazing these days. I keep thanking God for the man that he is to our family. Just like everyone, we go through ups and downs, that's life. But I love to ride the ups and downs with him. With him the ups don't go as high and the downs don't go down too far. I like that he keeps us pretty steady. I'm not always the most even keeled person don'tchaknow.
So that's what's happening in Kruger Land these days. I hope you are well and making it through the winter. Today we are one day closer to spring than we were yesterday! Yahoo! Peace out y'all.
I don't have anything big & grand to post today, but a bunch of little & mediocre things. So if you want to plod through, be my guest :)
-It's the day before Valentine's Day and the kiddos and I are going to finish up their cards for their friends. We tried to stay away from giving out candy, but decided on each card getting two Life Savers with the card saying, "Valentine, We are two of a kind!" The "o's" are the Life Savers.
-I'm looking forward to our trip down to Branson, MO with my parents & two of my siblings (and their SO's) in less than a month. I don't think I'm going to make my goal of losing 8 pounds by then.
-On said trip to Branson, we will be leaving at 3:00 a.m. and I love, love, love driving at this time of the morning when it's dark and quiet. No music, no radio, just a van full of slumbering people, my thoughts, and my Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha.
-I am going to be working full time for 8 weeks this spring/summer. I am excited and dreading this all at the same time. I'm excited because I love my job and it will be very exciting! I'm dreading it because it's the beginning of summer and I'll miss that time with my kids. But at the end of the 8 weeks we are going to FAMILY CAMP!!!!!!!!! We're going to a camp in northern Wisconsin with friends of ours and I am SO EXCITED!! I LOVE (I cannot write LOVE big enough here) camp. I had dreams and visions of owning a camp when I was younger. We'll be taking our pop-up camper and staying in that, but we'll be spending our time eating every single meal in the dining hall. Mama doesn't have to think about cooking or doing the cooking for a WHOLE WEEK! This is the icing on the cake.
-JJ & I are helping to facilitate a parenting class at church and participating in it, the other weeks. It's called Swimming Upstream 101. Parenting a child to have values, morals and a Biblical foundation today is completely counter cultural... Thus Swimming Upstream! The video series we're watching (and reading the book to go along with it) is called Visionary Parenting and it is absolutely, hands down, phenomenal material. More on all of this in a later post.
-A very, very dear friend of mine is due to have her 4th baby in about 2 weeks. I am anxiously awaiting this beautiful girl, because I KNOW that God has and is working miracles in her life already!
-Soccer sign ups for summer is happening soon. Both kids want to play again. Jonah was very enthusiastic about wanting to play (the more... how shall we say it in a nice way? "Relaxed" player of the two). Aphia was actually a little reluctant (the more... aggressive & cognizant player of the two).
I loved watching both of them play last year- a stark difference from watching t-ball the two years prior (it might have been more fun to try to pluck each toe nail off one by one).
-Today, Isaiah was the red Power Ranger and his name was Sam. On Sunday when I went to pick him up from Sunday school, he was not there, but I was delighted to be able to pick up Superman. We are trying to find a nice happy medium of imaginging and playing pretend (which he is VERY good at) and not telling all out lies (which he is getting good at).
-My new nephew Ryan Jr., who I would like to call RJ but I haven't cleared that with my SIL, is 3 weeks old. He has found his voice. He is stressing out my SIL and I'm praying for him and her. Those early days can be so touch and go. It's all new and a learning process. It's exhausting.
-JJ is amazing these days. I keep thanking God for the man that he is to our family. Just like everyone, we go through ups and downs, that's life. But I love to ride the ups and downs with him. With him the ups don't go as high and the downs don't go down too far. I like that he keeps us pretty steady. I'm not always the most even keeled person don'tchaknow.
So that's what's happening in Kruger Land these days. I hope you are well and making it through the winter. Today we are one day closer to spring than we were yesterday! Yahoo! Peace out y'all.
Friday, November 16, 2012
The post where I go all "capsy"
I don't mean to be a complete Debby Downer here... but well that's exactly what I'm going to be.
The past two weeks I feel like I've been BOMBARDED with how full of crap and trash our society is.
We all know I wasn't thrilled with the outcome of the Presidential election, but that's basically the least of it.
1. I'm saddened that just because of how people "feel," our state is deciding that they can leave the door open to changing the definitions of words if they want to. What?! Who does that? A spade is a spade is a spade is a spade. A spade is not a heart. A spade is not a diamond. It's....wait for it... a spade. There are reasons it's a spade. There are origins of it being a spade. And just because society says, "We kinda want a spade to now be a spade AND a heart," doesn't mean that we make it both. If peeps want to make up another word for this thing that's a spade & heart- go for it.
2. The states of Colorado and Washington decide that recreational marijuana is now legal. Again what?! And how does that fit in with the fact that (I believe) it's federally illegal. All you Colorado snowboarders can now be high on the mountains, but if you want to drink soda in NY- think twice!
3. I just read an article about transgendered people being allowed in locker rooms with the gender that they identify with. WHAT?! So now if I bring my daughter (who is a female, born with female genitalia) into the women's locker room with me so that we can change to go into the pool at the gym, she can be faced with a grown male's genitalia??? That's disgusting! And LIKE I want to see some other-than-my-husband's junk! YEAH RIGHT! EW. And who says that all these transgendered people (I don't even know if I'm supposed to call them men or women- how whacked out is that?!) who identify as women, but have male parts are actually being truthful? What about the CREEPY CREEPY pedophile who wants to go in and see little girls (or a dude who wants to see grown women) naked? AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! I want to pull my hair out.
4. Another article I just started reading included a pamphlet from International Planned Parenthood. It made my want to BARF. It talked about the sexuality of "young people." I thought, "How young are these people? 18-21? 18-25?" NOPE. These "young people" are not even adults. Our society says that minors (and even adults ages 18-21) cannot consume alcohol, BUT they should be able to express themselves sexually in any way they want as long as the other person is ok with it??? This is BOGUS. We don't let people under 21 drink booze because they can't handle the consequences. THEY AREN'T MATURE ENOUGH. But we think that young people, under the age of 18, are mature enough to make smart choices about having sex??? OH. MY. GOODNESS. How dilisional is our society? There are SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO many consequences to "exploring sexuality" no matter what age, let alone some kid whose hormones are already going nuts and can hardly even make a clear & wise decision on what clothes to wear. My heart hurts at the thought that people think this is wise.
Should we talk about sexuality to our young people? OF COURSE. ABSOLUTELY. Should we encourage them to go explore it and try it out and see how it feels at these young ages? NO WAY. How stupid are people that they believe this is a good idea? As a parent, I'm OUTRAGED.
I am SO sick and sad that my kids are going to grow up in a world that tells them these HUGE lies. That there aren't really consequences for our actions and even if there are, there's always an easy fix or "solution" to them. Sad. Sad. Sad.
5. Finally. I was just watching "Katie" and she had Dr. Phil on the show- who I generally like. She also had this other guy on who founded some website for people who are married who want to have affairs. He said that there was a market for it because the other dating websites had 30% of people on there that were married already. First of all, that's sick. Second of all, you're going to capitalize on that?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?! And he thinks that THIS is not going to tear down the structure of marriage and family? What a complete idiot!
The dude said that so many affairs were committed on Monday mornings because so many weekends were filled with unmet expectations. Probably true. I believe it. But WHAT IN THE H.E.DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS happened to personal responsibility? How about instead of always focusing on ones own expectations not being met, trying to meet the expectations of the other? How about being the FIRST one to turn the marriage around? How about being the FIRST one to take the step towards a spouse instead of waiting for THEM? What happened to "change starts with me"? Marriages around the globe fail because of pure selfishness.
Love starts as a feeling, a super awesome, amazing feeling. But it often times turns to the mature choice that people make when the initial feeling goes away or seems less than brilliant anymore. We make the choice to show love, even when it doesn't seem to come naturally. THAT is what love is!!! It's choosing to put the other person's wants, needs, desires in front of our own or even in front of our own "what I would or wouldn't normally do." Sometimes I really don't want to stay up and watch a movie with my man because I'm super tired, but guess what, he really likes it when I sit next to him, snuggled up to watch a movie. So I watch the movie and snuggle up by him. Sometimes I get really excited about something and he (in case you didn't know) doesn't always show excitement in the same way that I do. But he knows that when he pretends to get all giddy and excited it makes me smile and laugh so he does it... for me... because he knows it makes me feel loved and attended to.
Wake up world. Things that "feel" good are not always the right things. Truth is... the right thing is always THE thing to do. Sometimes we need to go against the grain of what "feels" right and and do what IS right.
Ok, now that my blood pressure is probably 190/100 I need to relax and go enjoy a lil Curious George with my lil buddy who just woke up from his nap.
The past two weeks I feel like I've been BOMBARDED with how full of crap and trash our society is.
We all know I wasn't thrilled with the outcome of the Presidential election, but that's basically the least of it.
1. I'm saddened that just because of how people "feel," our state is deciding that they can leave the door open to changing the definitions of words if they want to. What?! Who does that? A spade is a spade is a spade is a spade. A spade is not a heart. A spade is not a diamond. It's....wait for it... a spade. There are reasons it's a spade. There are origins of it being a spade. And just because society says, "We kinda want a spade to now be a spade AND a heart," doesn't mean that we make it both. If peeps want to make up another word for this thing that's a spade & heart- go for it.
2. The states of Colorado and Washington decide that recreational marijuana is now legal. Again what?! And how does that fit in with the fact that (I believe) it's federally illegal. All you Colorado snowboarders can now be high on the mountains, but if you want to drink soda in NY- think twice!
3. I just read an article about transgendered people being allowed in locker rooms with the gender that they identify with. WHAT?! So now if I bring my daughter (who is a female, born with female genitalia) into the women's locker room with me so that we can change to go into the pool at the gym, she can be faced with a grown male's genitalia??? That's disgusting! And LIKE I want to see some other-than-my-husband's junk! YEAH RIGHT! EW. And who says that all these transgendered people (I don't even know if I'm supposed to call them men or women- how whacked out is that?!) who identify as women, but have male parts are actually being truthful? What about the CREEPY CREEPY pedophile who wants to go in and see little girls (or a dude who wants to see grown women) naked? AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! I want to pull my hair out.
4. Another article I just started reading included a pamphlet from International Planned Parenthood. It made my want to BARF. It talked about the sexuality of "young people." I thought, "How young are these people? 18-21? 18-25?" NOPE. These "young people" are not even adults. Our society says that minors (and even adults ages 18-21) cannot consume alcohol, BUT they should be able to express themselves sexually in any way they want as long as the other person is ok with it??? This is BOGUS. We don't let people under 21 drink booze because they can't handle the consequences. THEY AREN'T MATURE ENOUGH. But we think that young people, under the age of 18, are mature enough to make smart choices about having sex??? OH. MY. GOODNESS. How dilisional is our society? There are SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO many consequences to "exploring sexuality" no matter what age, let alone some kid whose hormones are already going nuts and can hardly even make a clear & wise decision on what clothes to wear. My heart hurts at the thought that people think this is wise.
Should we talk about sexuality to our young people? OF COURSE. ABSOLUTELY. Should we encourage them to go explore it and try it out and see how it feels at these young ages? NO WAY. How stupid are people that they believe this is a good idea? As a parent, I'm OUTRAGED.
I am SO sick and sad that my kids are going to grow up in a world that tells them these HUGE lies. That there aren't really consequences for our actions and even if there are, there's always an easy fix or "solution" to them. Sad. Sad. Sad.
5. Finally. I was just watching "Katie" and she had Dr. Phil on the show- who I generally like. She also had this other guy on who founded some website for people who are married who want to have affairs. He said that there was a market for it because the other dating websites had 30% of people on there that were married already. First of all, that's sick. Second of all, you're going to capitalize on that?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!?!?! And he thinks that THIS is not going to tear down the structure of marriage and family? What a complete idiot!
The dude said that so many affairs were committed on Monday mornings because so many weekends were filled with unmet expectations. Probably true. I believe it. But WHAT IN THE H.E.DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS happened to personal responsibility? How about instead of always focusing on ones own expectations not being met, trying to meet the expectations of the other? How about being the FIRST one to turn the marriage around? How about being the FIRST one to take the step towards a spouse instead of waiting for THEM? What happened to "change starts with me"? Marriages around the globe fail because of pure selfishness.
Love starts as a feeling, a super awesome, amazing feeling. But it often times turns to the mature choice that people make when the initial feeling goes away or seems less than brilliant anymore. We make the choice to show love, even when it doesn't seem to come naturally. THAT is what love is!!! It's choosing to put the other person's wants, needs, desires in front of our own or even in front of our own "what I would or wouldn't normally do." Sometimes I really don't want to stay up and watch a movie with my man because I'm super tired, but guess what, he really likes it when I sit next to him, snuggled up to watch a movie. So I watch the movie and snuggle up by him. Sometimes I get really excited about something and he (in case you didn't know) doesn't always show excitement in the same way that I do. But he knows that when he pretends to get all giddy and excited it makes me smile and laugh so he does it... for me... because he knows it makes me feel loved and attended to.
Wake up world. Things that "feel" good are not always the right things. Truth is... the right thing is always THE thing to do. Sometimes we need to go against the grain of what "feels" right and and do what IS right.
Ok, now that my blood pressure is probably 190/100 I need to relax and go enjoy a lil Curious George with my lil buddy who just woke up from his nap.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
thoughts from a thursday
Lately lots of people have been asking me the question, "How are you?" Don't get me wrong, it's not like this is an odd question, people ask it all the time and I don't think much about it. But lately, before I answer, I've really been thinking about how I answer.
I can honestly say that right now life is good in my own little bubble. I hesistate to say that because I feel like as soon as I say that life is good and calm and normal, all H.E.Double Hockey Sticks is going to break loose.
But really, it's good. It's normal. It's drama-less. That makes for a Happy NeeNee.
This morning it was snowing here in the Buff (my affectionate name for Buffalo- teehee). I grabbed my warm cup of chai in a mug made specially for me by a dear friend, went into one of the nursery rooms at church/work, pulled up a chair made for a mini person and looked out at the field. It was so many things... Cold yet beautiful, blowing snow yet so still, baren trees yet an earth full of life. I was warm and safe and talking with my Lord thanking Him for the peace in me and in our home, because all around us there are things falling apart. Things from a really small scale to a really big scale.
There are always things falling apart somewhere- that's the nature of our fallenness. It's not how God designed it or wanted it, but it's what humanity chose and we've made our bed so now we lay in it. I believe He does all he can to lessen the blow of our stupid choices and the selfishness we have (which is really the root of pretty much any ickiness in life). He's a GOOD GOD and He's just and loving and caring and a Father and wants us. He wants US! Even when we are morons, He still wants us. How cool is that? He still pursues us after every single time we wander away. And then we try our darndest to try harder, to be better, to love Him and to love others more, to show grace and mercy and compassion. And He's there every step of the way, encouraging us and cheering us on!
So as I sat and looked out the window, I prayed. I thanked Him for what I have and prayed for those who need more Jesus right now. Prayed for situations of friends who need to let go of things that are not healthy or to be. Prayed for friends who are seeking His plan for their lives and haven't been able to clearly see it yet. Prayed for friends who are broken. Prayed for friends who are trying to be strong for others. Prayed against sadness. Prayed against loneliness. Prayed against angst. Prayed for guidance. Prayed for His peace to come down on those who seek it.
I'm blessed today. I'm blessed every day. To have life here on this earth and forevermore.
I love Fall. I love the start of snuggle season. I love the word "cozy" it makes me want to giggle! I love the smell of autumn candles burning. I love a warm cup of coffee or chai. I love to sit and look out the window at the winter to come. It's our chance and season to slow.
Praying that you will be able to slow down this season and enjoy what God has given you. Take a moment to thank Him for it. To listen to His voice telling you, "I love you. I care for you. I want you. You are treasured."
I can honestly say that right now life is good in my own little bubble. I hesistate to say that because I feel like as soon as I say that life is good and calm and normal, all H.E.Double Hockey Sticks is going to break loose.
But really, it's good. It's normal. It's drama-less. That makes for a Happy NeeNee.
This morning it was snowing here in the Buff (my affectionate name for Buffalo- teehee). I grabbed my warm cup of chai in a mug made specially for me by a dear friend, went into one of the nursery rooms at church/work, pulled up a chair made for a mini person and looked out at the field. It was so many things... Cold yet beautiful, blowing snow yet so still, baren trees yet an earth full of life. I was warm and safe and talking with my Lord thanking Him for the peace in me and in our home, because all around us there are things falling apart. Things from a really small scale to a really big scale.
There are always things falling apart somewhere- that's the nature of our fallenness. It's not how God designed it or wanted it, but it's what humanity chose and we've made our bed so now we lay in it. I believe He does all he can to lessen the blow of our stupid choices and the selfishness we have (which is really the root of pretty much any ickiness in life). He's a GOOD GOD and He's just and loving and caring and a Father and wants us. He wants US! Even when we are morons, He still wants us. How cool is that? He still pursues us after every single time we wander away. And then we try our darndest to try harder, to be better, to love Him and to love others more, to show grace and mercy and compassion. And He's there every step of the way, encouraging us and cheering us on!
So as I sat and looked out the window, I prayed. I thanked Him for what I have and prayed for those who need more Jesus right now. Prayed for situations of friends who need to let go of things that are not healthy or to be. Prayed for friends who are seeking His plan for their lives and haven't been able to clearly see it yet. Prayed for friends who are broken. Prayed for friends who are trying to be strong for others. Prayed against sadness. Prayed against loneliness. Prayed against angst. Prayed for guidance. Prayed for His peace to come down on those who seek it.
I'm blessed today. I'm blessed every day. To have life here on this earth and forevermore.
I love Fall. I love the start of snuggle season. I love the word "cozy" it makes me want to giggle! I love the smell of autumn candles burning. I love a warm cup of coffee or chai. I love to sit and look out the window at the winter to come. It's our chance and season to slow.
Praying that you will be able to slow down this season and enjoy what God has given you. Take a moment to thank Him for it. To listen to His voice telling you, "I love you. I care for you. I want you. You are treasured."
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
No! Where is the umbrella?
Some of us know that men are not all stellar communicators. This was proven in our house the other day when I overheard this conversation between Jeremiah and Isaiah. I could NOT stand it and had to interject.
Isaiah: "Dad, where is the umbrella?" (speaking about the big umbrella that goes over our patio table)
Jeremiah: "It broke."
Isaiah: "Where is the umbrella?'
Jeremiah: "It broke."
Isaiah: "NO! Where IIIIISSSS the umbrella?"
Jeremiah: "I don't think you understand what I'm saying. It's broken."
Me: "No, honey, I don't think YOU understand what HE'S asking. He said WHERE is the umbrella. Not what happened to it. Please tell him it's in the fire pit for us to burn since it broke."
Jeremiah: "It's in the fire pit so we can burn it because it broke in the storm the other night."
Isaiah: "Ok." (walks away, content)
Whew. That was painful.
Isaiah: "Dad, where is the umbrella?" (speaking about the big umbrella that goes over our patio table)
Jeremiah: "It broke."
Isaiah: "Where is the umbrella?'
Jeremiah: "It broke."
Isaiah: "NO! Where IIIIISSSS the umbrella?"
Jeremiah: "I don't think you understand what I'm saying. It's broken."
Me: "No, honey, I don't think YOU understand what HE'S asking. He said WHERE is the umbrella. Not what happened to it. Please tell him it's in the fire pit for us to burn since it broke."
Jeremiah: "It's in the fire pit so we can burn it because it broke in the storm the other night."
Isaiah: "Ok." (walks away, content)
Whew. That was painful.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Pulled.
Pulled. I feel pulled in multiple emotional directions right now. I've had a lot of things on my mind to blog about, but everytime I start one, my mind drifts to something else that I want to blog about. So bear with me if this post seems reeeeeeally random, because... well... it probably will be.
- Today there is a funeral here at church. A young man whose father is VERY involved at our church passed away last week, suddenly. I'm not sure on the details, don't need to be, but it is very heart wrenching. I walked by the Worship Center a bit ago and saw the casket with the young gentleman there, with his dad sitting by him, holding his hand. My heart ACHED. I cannot imagine losing a child, at ANY age. My prayers are with the family at this time, for peace, comfort, and feeling the presence of the Lord.
-This past weekend we were able to go down to Stewartville where Jeremiah's brother, sister-in-law and our nieces live. We got to go down to celebrate Hannah and Emily making the choice to be baptized. What a JOYOUS day that was! Ironically (considering the last paragraph), their church is called New Life Church. It was a beautiful morning full of new life in Jesus, celebrated by 4 beautiful, Jesus-loving gals. I cried through the entire service. It was small and intimate and lovely and spirit-filled and overwhelming and blessed. I love our church home and our church family, but it was incredible to be in a small congregation (that was mostly our relative family), worshiping with them. To celebrate the decision that our nieces made to follow Jesus all of their days and to commit that before friends and family made my heart burst with joy.
-The arm. Aphia's arm. Oy. Long story. Broken arm, health insurance not kicked in until June 1st. Still making the choice to choose quality care for her and feeling good about that decision. Praising God for a "minor" break (if a break can be minor) and for a WATERROOF cast. Man, even though it costs more it is SO worth it to get a waterproof cast for a kid. I cannot stress that enough. Knowing that God always provides manna for us, daily bread. Just what we need for today, no more, no less. Praying about being content with that and feeling loved that we are so very cared for by Him.
-Misophonia. Miso coming from the greek "to hate" and phonia coming from the greek "sound"- literally translates to "hatred of sounds." I am diagnosable ;) I'm not just nuts. I saw a segment about this on the show 20/20 last Friday night. I called my mom immediately and told her to watch. She and I agreed whole-heartedly that this describes me, to a degree.
This is what Wikipedia had to say about it:
Symptoms: People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds. People with misophonia may be diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though a few sufferers are bothered by sounds they make themselves, most are not. The reactions are completely involuntary. People who have misophonia may also be annoyed by other people's repetitive movements, such as leg-tapping, nail-biting, the rising and falling of the belly, and typing. Sensitivity to these sounds tends to be exacerbated by stress, hunger, or fatigue. The onset of the symptoms appears to have a characteristic pattern, often in childhood just prior to or during puberty. Often there is a single initial trigger (such as a parent's or sibling's noises), after which the triggers expand over time to include both auditory or visual elements. It is speculated that there is a genetic basis for this disorder as the etiological data supports a similar pattern of emergence, but this remains to be determined.
Coping Methods & Treatment: People with misophonia use various coping methods. Most will simply avoid the offending sound by leaving the area altogether, while some will try to block it with earplugs or music. Intense anxiety and avoidant behavior may develop. Some people may feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear. In more extreme cases, sufferers will not socialise for fear of hearing the sounds. It is important to note that sensitivity to the offending sounds is often far more severe when the origin of the sound comes from a person emotionally connected to the sufferer.
Now, I wouldn't say I'm an extreme case of this, but I'm a case that's for sure! It completely explains the fact that I completely failed a Social Studies test in 9th grade because I couldn't read the questions because the girl behind me was chewing and snapping her gum. I thought my head was going to explode and it took everything in me to not turn around and slam her head into her desk. I know that soundsEXTREMELY PSYCHO a little over the top maybe, but that was my brain. I'm grateful that I never did hurt her :)
I knew and know that everyone has pet peeves. I get that. I just thought that mine were really bad and it was just my thorn to bear. And to an extent that's the truth. There's not much one can do about this. I find it interesting when it says that "some people may feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear." I TOTALLY DO THAT! If Jeremiah wants to eat chips while we're watching a movie, it's all good. All I have to do is eat a chip at the exact same time as him, then my own crunching drowns out his and I'm good. I may be completely focused on him and not the movie, but oh well. If someone is chewing gum, all I have to do is pop a piece in my mouth and chew it louder (and I may, just may, chew it really obnoxiously because I'm so annoyed). If someone is tapping their foot, I just tap mine bigger and louder for a few seconds and then I feel better! It's like I just had to "get that out."
I don't feel quite so bad that I literally wanted to punch my brothers in the face all the time, when I was a teenager. It's a medical condition you know. ;) Ok for real. I'm not going to use that as a crutch or anything. It just helps me to recognize that I'm not competely alone, psycho, violent, and that I'm an island of crazy weirdoness.
-D.R. We've been doing the Dave Ramsey, Finanical Peace University class at church for the past 13 weeks. It's amazing. We "graduated" last night. I highly recommend it to anyone at any stage of life, but especially to anyone who is post-high school or newly engaged/married. I feel like it's stuff we all "know" but it gives you the solid, practical tools to put into place in attaining complete financial peace. Do Jeremiah and I have that yet? Not completely, but we will. Of that I'm certain. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. And it's probably one of the only ones I'll run (besides marriage and parenting) that I'll run in my life.
-Garage Sale. I'm having a garage sale with three amazing friends this week. That's a whole lot of work. But hey, it comes at just the right time, when we're about to receive a bill from a certain little girls bright pink cast! Daily bread... He always provides and I love that.
-VBS. It's coming! I love it! I'm overjoyed to be in the position I am and be able to direct a week of pre-school Vacation Bible School! Jeremiah is taking the week off from work again to teach. This year I'm much more prepared than last year and I'm looking forward to being able to spend our afternoons and evenings together as a family on our VBS Staycation.
-My parents. For 13 weeks, they've been attending the Dave Ramsey class with us. For 13 weeks they have come out to our house before class to spend time with me and the kiddos and they always bring us dinner. Have I ever told you how good of a cook my dad is? Well HE IS. What a blessing having time with them each week has been. W.O.W. I'm so grateful for my relationship with them and the love they give to my kids and to me! I'm one fortunate daughter!!
-Babies! I'm so excited for all the babies that are going to be born in the next few months. I get to be a new auntie to my brother and sister-in-law!! But I'm also in thought over friends that have struggled to be mommies and have lost babies along the way. It's a pulled kind of feeling in my heart and head.
And I think that's about all for now. I think I got a lot of it out there. Those are my ramblings for today. I'll leave you with a special benediction: "May the Lord lift up your life!" to which you respond with, "And up yours also!" Bwaaa Ha Ha!!! Peace out.
- Today there is a funeral here at church. A young man whose father is VERY involved at our church passed away last week, suddenly. I'm not sure on the details, don't need to be, but it is very heart wrenching. I walked by the Worship Center a bit ago and saw the casket with the young gentleman there, with his dad sitting by him, holding his hand. My heart ACHED. I cannot imagine losing a child, at ANY age. My prayers are with the family at this time, for peace, comfort, and feeling the presence of the Lord.
-This past weekend we were able to go down to Stewartville where Jeremiah's brother, sister-in-law and our nieces live. We got to go down to celebrate Hannah and Emily making the choice to be baptized. What a JOYOUS day that was! Ironically (considering the last paragraph), their church is called New Life Church. It was a beautiful morning full of new life in Jesus, celebrated by 4 beautiful, Jesus-loving gals. I cried through the entire service. It was small and intimate and lovely and spirit-filled and overwhelming and blessed. I love our church home and our church family, but it was incredible to be in a small congregation (that was mostly our relative family), worshiping with them. To celebrate the decision that our nieces made to follow Jesus all of their days and to commit that before friends and family made my heart burst with joy.
-The arm. Aphia's arm. Oy. Long story. Broken arm, health insurance not kicked in until June 1st. Still making the choice to choose quality care for her and feeling good about that decision. Praising God for a "minor" break (if a break can be minor) and for a WATERROOF cast. Man, even though it costs more it is SO worth it to get a waterproof cast for a kid. I cannot stress that enough. Knowing that God always provides manna for us, daily bread. Just what we need for today, no more, no less. Praying about being content with that and feeling loved that we are so very cared for by Him.
-Misophonia. Miso coming from the greek "to hate" and phonia coming from the greek "sound"- literally translates to "hatred of sounds." I am diagnosable ;) I'm not just nuts. I saw a segment about this on the show 20/20 last Friday night. I called my mom immediately and told her to watch. She and I agreed whole-heartedly that this describes me, to a degree.
This is what Wikipedia had to say about it:
Symptoms: People who have misophonia are most commonly annoyed, or even enraged, by such ordinary sounds as other people eating, breathing, or coughing; certain consonants; or repetitive sounds. People with misophonia may be diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though a few sufferers are bothered by sounds they make themselves, most are not. The reactions are completely involuntary. People who have misophonia may also be annoyed by other people's repetitive movements, such as leg-tapping, nail-biting, the rising and falling of the belly, and typing. Sensitivity to these sounds tends to be exacerbated by stress, hunger, or fatigue. The onset of the symptoms appears to have a characteristic pattern, often in childhood just prior to or during puberty. Often there is a single initial trigger (such as a parent's or sibling's noises), after which the triggers expand over time to include both auditory or visual elements. It is speculated that there is a genetic basis for this disorder as the etiological data supports a similar pattern of emergence, but this remains to be determined.
Coping Methods & Treatment: People with misophonia use various coping methods. Most will simply avoid the offending sound by leaving the area altogether, while some will try to block it with earplugs or music. Intense anxiety and avoidant behavior may develop. Some people may feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear. In more extreme cases, sufferers will not socialise for fear of hearing the sounds. It is important to note that sensitivity to the offending sounds is often far more severe when the origin of the sound comes from a person emotionally connected to the sufferer.
Now, I wouldn't say I'm an extreme case of this, but I'm a case that's for sure! It completely explains the fact that I completely failed a Social Studies test in 9th grade because I couldn't read the questions because the girl behind me was chewing and snapping her gum. I thought my head was going to explode and it took everything in me to not turn around and slam her head into her desk. I know that sounds
I knew and know that everyone has pet peeves. I get that. I just thought that mine were really bad and it was just my thorn to bear. And to an extent that's the truth. There's not much one can do about this. I find it interesting when it says that "some people may feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear." I TOTALLY DO THAT! If Jeremiah wants to eat chips while we're watching a movie, it's all good. All I have to do is eat a chip at the exact same time as him, then my own crunching drowns out his and I'm good. I may be completely focused on him and not the movie, but oh well. If someone is chewing gum, all I have to do is pop a piece in my mouth and chew it louder (and I may, just may, chew it really obnoxiously because I'm so annoyed). If someone is tapping their foot, I just tap mine bigger and louder for a few seconds and then I feel better! It's like I just had to "get that out."
I don't feel quite so bad that I literally wanted to punch my brothers in the face all the time, when I was a teenager. It's a medical condition you know. ;) Ok for real. I'm not going to use that as a crutch or anything. It just helps me to recognize that I'm not competely alone, psycho, violent, and that I'm an island of crazy weirdoness.
-D.R. We've been doing the Dave Ramsey, Finanical Peace University class at church for the past 13 weeks. It's amazing. We "graduated" last night. I highly recommend it to anyone at any stage of life, but especially to anyone who is post-high school or newly engaged/married. I feel like it's stuff we all "know" but it gives you the solid, practical tools to put into place in attaining complete financial peace. Do Jeremiah and I have that yet? Not completely, but we will. Of that I'm certain. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. And it's probably one of the only ones I'll run (besides marriage and parenting) that I'll run in my life.
-Garage Sale. I'm having a garage sale with three amazing friends this week. That's a whole lot of work. But hey, it comes at just the right time, when we're about to receive a bill from a certain little girls bright pink cast! Daily bread... He always provides and I love that.
-VBS. It's coming! I love it! I'm overjoyed to be in the position I am and be able to direct a week of pre-school Vacation Bible School! Jeremiah is taking the week off from work again to teach. This year I'm much more prepared than last year and I'm looking forward to being able to spend our afternoons and evenings together as a family on our VBS Staycation.
-My parents. For 13 weeks, they've been attending the Dave Ramsey class with us. For 13 weeks they have come out to our house before class to spend time with me and the kiddos and they always bring us dinner. Have I ever told you how good of a cook my dad is? Well HE IS. What a blessing having time with them each week has been. W.O.W. I'm so grateful for my relationship with them and the love they give to my kids and to me! I'm one fortunate daughter!!
-Babies! I'm so excited for all the babies that are going to be born in the next few months. I get to be a new auntie to my brother and sister-in-law!! But I'm also in thought over friends that have struggled to be mommies and have lost babies along the way. It's a pulled kind of feeling in my heart and head.
And I think that's about all for now. I think I got a lot of it out there. Those are my ramblings for today. I'll leave you with a special benediction: "May the Lord lift up your life!" to which you respond with, "And up yours also!" Bwaaa Ha Ha!!! Peace out.
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